'In general, a literary work in which the central character meets an unhappy or disastrous end. Unlike comedy, which often portrays a central character of weak nature, tragedy often involves the problems of a central character of dignified or heroic stature. Through a related series of events, this main character, the tragic hero or heroine, is brought to a final downfall. The causes of the character’s downfall vary. In traditional dramas, the cause is often an error in judgement or a combination of inexplicable outside forces that overwhelm the character. In modern dramas, the causes range from moral or psychological weaknesses to the evils of society. The tragic hero or heroine, though defeated, usually gains a measure of wisdom and/or self-awareness. There may be more than one central character in a tragedy.'
In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursalt, the central character was also the tragic hero. He was tragically misunderstood by society, leading to his final downfall-- his death. Near the end of his downfall in his prison cell, Meursalt achieves insight into his life when he comes upon the realization that 'life is meaningless' upon his defeat.
In Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Santiago Nasar is the central character. Once again, his final downfall is his death. Although it remains unclear what sort of realizes he comes upon, he is again misunderstood throughout the novel, like Meursalt. The novel is an investigation who took Angela's virginity, which is never really understood because Santiago Nasar remains somewhat of an enigma.
Definition
'In general, a literary work in which the central character meets an unhappy or disastrous end. Unlike comedy, which often portrays a central character of weak nature, tragedy often involves the problems of a central character of dignified or heroic stature. Through a related series of events, this main character, the tragic hero or heroine, is brought to a final downfall. The causes of the character’s downfall vary. In traditional dramas, the cause is often an error in judgement or a combination of inexplicable outside forces that overwhelm the character. In modern dramas, the causes range from moral or psychological weaknesses to the evils of society. The tragic hero or heroine, though defeated, usually gains a measure of wisdom and/or self-awareness. There may be more than one central character in a tragedy.'Sources: http://library.thinkquest.org/23846/library/terms/index.html
Examples
In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursalt, the central character was also the tragic hero. He was tragically misunderstood by society, leading to his final downfall-- his death. Near the end of his downfall in his prison cell, Meursalt achieves insight into his life when he comes upon the realization that 'life is meaningless' upon his defeat.In Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Santiago Nasar is the central character. Once again, his final downfall is his death. Although it remains unclear what sort of realizes he comes upon, he is again misunderstood throughout the novel, like Meursalt. The novel is an investigation who took Angela's virginity, which is never really understood because Santiago Nasar remains somewhat of an enigma.